In late 2022, Shane MacGowan announced that he was suffering from and being treated for encephalitis: a rare disease that causes the brain to swell. It can be life-threatening and requires urgent treatment. He has been hospitalized since June 2023. There have already been a few updates about his well-being, now his wife Victoria Mary Clarke is reporting to the outside world with another detailed message.
“The Pogues” reunited in the hospital
On October 14th, his “The Pogues” bandmates paid MacGowan a visit in the hospital. Clarke later posted on the “X” platform with a photo and the words “Thanks to @spiderstacy and Terry Woods for visiting him. Love and prayers to everyone struggling right now. Hang in there!” to the 65-year-old’s fans. The picture currently shows the singer with a severely sunken face and a breathing tube.
Challenges of love
A few days earlier, Victoria had already opened Mary Clarke Instagram posted a picture of her with her husband and included a detailed statement in which she spoke about her fears of loss. She wrote in the post: “Love is the most beautiful and powerful thing we can experience as humans, but love can also feel painful, especially when you are afraid of losing someone or something else you love. The truly great challenge we all face is to go beyond what our minds think are the limits of love and what love really is.”
“But sometimes, when you love very deeply, you are faced with terrible fears of loss that can feel so great and devastating that you don’t know how to survive them and can’t imagine life without the person you love can imagine. In those moments when you stare into the abyss, you have the opportunity to expand your consciousness beyond the limits of your mind,” explains the 57-year-old.